This is a nice cheap(er) guitar because the pickups are really good. Fender won't admit it, but people have figured out that the Squire Classic Vibe line of pickups are made by Tonerider - a respected manufacturer of entry level
electronics.

lockjet, i dont wanna sound cocky but i feel that my advice is going to be the best. I strongly disagree with a lot being said here. listen up:

1. NO acoustics. They are boring. They hurt. Why torture the kid?

2. Spend 275 on a guitar and 25 on an amp. why? simple. The fact is that there are guitars out there in the mid to high 200's that are actually REALLY GOOD guitars. good enough that even a great, serious player like myself would not complain finishing up my life owning just that one if i was forced to. this is where you need to put the bulk of your $$$ into. doesnt it make sense to wind up with a guitar that is great to start out on PLUS, if he becomes serious, it is still good enough to keep around as a second/backup guitar? as for an amp, at this price range you cant have any amp that will be loud enough to play in a band/gig with so you just need to have one to get room volume to practice and play along with records to. if he becomes serious, then buy a real amp in a year or two. if you spend 300 on a guitar and amp evenly you will have a crappy amp and guitar down the line.

3. ok, guitars. Timmy was right on the money with :

1. new fender classic vibe series - plays like butter, pretty, feels great, sounds good too under 300
2. used fender mexican strat - 300 ....maybe under. excellent guitars even if you are a pro. worth looking for
3. new fender squire telecasters at $179. i own one. it holds tune perfect, plays like butter, sounds and feels real nice. UNREAL value. Ive played gigs with it with my collection of ($1500-$2200) les paul(s) as backups behind me on stands just because it feels good and its fun.
4. Used ESP LTD MH-250, 275, 300 and up. OK, no joke. These LTDs were made in indonesia and REEK of quality. I own 2. one i paid 159 bucks for at a pawn shop and it included a case and the previous owner upgraded to emg 81/85 active pickups. My other 250 i paid $200 used but it was stock. These guitars play and feel like they should be $1500 guitars. I LOVE them. SUPER fast neck-through-body design. If you can find one and he like it, but it. as a matter of fact i was in guitar center in tampa and there are 2 used ones for like 300ish. gorgeous....i cant say enough.

Ibanez and Jackson make a slew of really nice 250-300 guitars that play, feel,sound good that can be kept forever

Heres whats NOT TO BUY:

Epiphones - just the worst. they look good. thats about it. nothing says "im a sucker...and im broke" more than an epiphone. AVOID. Just because they look good doesnt mean they are good. UGH. Maybe the WORST playing guitars ever build. I just dont understand why they are popular.

I have a little practice amp thats doing nothing. you can have it. i work in dade city. the best thing u can do is spend it all on a USED guitar. Guitar center in tampa has a ton of good stuff. dont mail order anything....thats nutty. good luck

I have played in rock bands since I was 15, most of my good friends are guitar players/musicians of some sort, and I am a huge music fan myself. I honestly can't think of a single person I've met who can play even reasonably well who didn't learn on an acoustic guitar. It hurts yes, but that's the point- it's a rite of passage. You gotta earn it. You don't just start a kid on an electric, unless you want to guarantee it ends up in attic within a year. Not to mention it will sound horrible at first- you really want to amplify that noise???

Only thing electric he deserves is a high-end digital tuner to keep his new acoustic guitar in tune.

You don't just start a kid on an electric, unless you want to guarantee it ends up in attic within a year. Not to mention it will sound horrible at first- you really want to amplify that noise???

his kid mentioned an electric im sure. he probably thinks an acoustic is gay. you have to make the boy happy and keep him interested. I learned on an electric and i know plenty other who also have.

the "learn on an acoustic" mentality is an old, old saying. probably from back in the days when acoustics were plenty and electrics were costly. today, you can get an electric for the same price as an acoustic.

so tell me in detail HOW the electric will is GUARANTEED to wind up in the attic/

his kid mentioned an electric im sure. he probably thinks an acoustic is gay. you have to make the boy happy and keep him interested. I learned on an electric and i know plenty other who also have.

the "learn on an acoustic" mentality is an old, old saying. probably from back in the days when acoustics were plenty and electrics were costly. today, you can get an electric for the same price as an acoustic.

so tell me in detail HOW the electric will is GUARANTEED to wind up in the attic/

So what if his kid mentioned an electric, tough cookies. And if he thinks an acoustic is 'gay', he is probably bound to a sad, meatheaded, shortsighted, hollow existence anyway and guitar is just not for him.

The 'learn on an acoustic mentality' might have had something to with price/availability, but it has merit for other reasons as well. As I mentioned, you have to fight the pain and get the callouses before you even make it to "Level 1", and I think that's the way it should be. I'm also looking out for Mom & Dad- I know mine wouldn't have wanted to hear my nails-on-a-chalkboard growing pains AMPLIFIED...

Hey maybe he will be the exception to the rule. All I know is the kids I knew who got electric guitars first typically sucked and/or gave up very quickly. There is something about earning the right to play on an electric by learning acoustic that is respected and cherished for a reason- it will make him a better player. Not to mention you can get a decent acoustic for $300, or instead buy an electric combo of foreign junk that will be useless in no time.

So what if his kid mentioned an electric, tough cookies. And if he thinks an acoustic is 'gay', he is probably bound to a sad, meatheaded, shortsighted, hollow existence anyway and guitar is just not for him.

The 'learn on an acoustic mentality' might have had something to with price/availability, but it has merit for other reasons as well. As I mentioned, you have to fight the pain and get the callouses before you even make it to "Level 1", and I think that's the way it should be. I'm also looking out for Mom & Dad- I know mine wouldn't have wanted to hear my nails-on-a-chalkboard growing pains AMPLIFIED...

Hey maybe he will be the exception to the rule. All I know is the kids I knew who got electric guitars first typically sucked and/or gave up very quickly. There is something about earning the right to play on an electric by learning acoustic that is respected and cherished for a reason- it will make him a better player. Not to mention you can get a decent acoustic for $300, or instead buy an electric combo of foreign junk that will be useless in no time.

well we can agree to disagree. one thing though, you sure make a LOT of negative assumptions and you dont back itup with anything other than "the kids i knew"

I started playing when I was 5-6. My parents say I bugged them for weeks after they took me to some kids show.

They got me a 3/4 acoustic, was cool for a bit but got boring. Started playing again around 10 and they got me a cheap Strat copy. Between the crap setup & 25.5" scale it was not fun to play. Started borrowing a friends Squire and it was much better.

Long story short, keep it cool, keep the scale short and get a good setup. I say go with a used Epiphone SG or Les Paul for a 10 year old. Won't lose any money if he quits either

My 3 1/2 year old is getting a 3/4 Mini Squire Strat for Xmas. He always watches me play and bangs around on my guitars. We'll see if he can start earlier than I did. Will try and use my wrongs to avoid him having trouble. Who knows.

Agree on getting your son a full-size acoustic guitar, Taylor or Martin entry level. But I would then try to identify a really solid and fun teacher to keep him motivated. If you live in Manhattan I could give you a name.

lockjet, i dont wanna sound cocky but i feel that my advice is going to be the best. I strongly disagree with a lot being said here. listen up:

1. NO acoustics. They are boring. They hurt. Why torture the kid?

2. Spend 275 on a guitar and 25 on an amp. why? simple. The fact is that there are guitars out there in the mid to high 200's that are actually REALLY GOOD guitars. good enough that even a great, serious player like myself would not complain finishing up my life owning just that one if i was forced to. this is where you need to put the bulk of your $$$ into. doesnt it make sense to wind up with a guitar that is great to start out on PLUS, if he becomes serious, it is still good enough to keep around as a second/backup guitar? as for an amp, at this price range you cant have any amp that will be loud enough to play in a band/gig with so you just need to have one to get room volume to practice and play along with records to. if he becomes serious, then buy a real amp in a year or two. if you spend 300 on a guitar and amp evenly you will have a crappy amp and guitar down the line.

3. ok, guitars. Timmy was right on the money with :

1. new fender classic vibe series - plays like butter, pretty, feels great, sounds good too under 300
2. used fender mexican strat - 300 ....maybe under. excellent guitars even if you are a pro. worth looking for
3. new fender squire telecasters at $179. i own one. it holds tune perfect, plays like butter, sounds and feels real nice. UNREAL value. Ive played gigs with it with my collection of ($1500-$2200) les paul(s) as backups behind me on stands just because it feels good and its fun.
4. Used ESP LTD MH-250, 275, 300 and up. OK, no joke. These LTDs were made in indonesia and REEK of quality. I own 2. one i paid 159 bucks for at a pawn shop and it included a case and the previous owner upgraded to emg 81/85 active pickups. My other 250 i paid $200 used but it was stock. These guitars play and feel like they should be $1500 guitars. I LOVE them. SUPER fast neck-through-body design. If you can find one and he like it, but it. as a matter of fact i was in guitar center in tampa and there are 2 used ones for like 300ish. gorgeous....i cant say enough.

Ibanez and Jackson make a slew of really nice 250-300 guitars that play, feel,sound good that can be kept forever

Heres whats NOT TO BUY:

Epiphones - just the worst. they look good. thats about it. nothing says "im a sucker...and im broke" more than an epiphone. AVOID. Just because they look good doesnt mean they are good. UGH. Maybe the WORST playing guitars ever build. I just dont understand why they are popular.

I have a little practice amp thats doing nothing. you can have it. i work in dade city. the best thing u can do is spend it all on a USED guitar. Guitar center in tampa has a ton of good stuff. dont mail order anything....thats nutty. good luck

What kind of sound does he want, and is he going to take lessons? I started on acoustic and felt it made the transition to electric easier, but it doesn't make it necessary.

Fender Strat Squires are cheap and good. That was my first electric as a 20 year old and the sound, while not perfect, was pretty good. I would avoid the cheap amp however, so like a couple others have said, upgrade the amp first after a year and maybe some pedals to give him the sound he is looking for.

I agree with those saying to start on an acoustic but you have to have that conversation with your son first - has he asked to take lessons? or is this just something he wants? Does his friend have one and he just wants one as well?

If you are not going the acoustic route then your BEST bet is to Go cheap with something like the Squier SE Strat Package for about $150-$180. If he doesn't stick with it it doesn't hurt so much. It's new and gets him started right away.

1. No acoustic. In a perfect world, it's the rght choice. In the real world, they're harder to play physicly, less "cool" sounding, and less fun overall to a noobie player.

2. Most name-brand cheap guitars today are of a quality vastly superior to any other time in Guitar production. Entry level instruments today are not throwaways or disposable anymore, and can last a lifetime of play (or at least till snobbism kicks in).

3. Cheap Amps are also available that are full of options and add ons and fun stuff to help foster and maintain interest. Digital modeling amps may not be artist-grade, but they're cheap, and offer a trillion sounds and effects at a price point of almost nothing.

With these said, my specific suggestions:

PRS Mark Tremonti SE. $545.00

Made overseas to reach this price point, but of absolute high-quality in both construction and electronics. PRS doesn't make bad guitars, and their SE line of imports are not just great players, they are so good many players never bother to move on to "better" more expensive guitars. Can't go wrong for this price point.

Fender "Blacktop" Stratocaster. $445.00

Also made outside the U.S. (indonesia I think), it's not of the same quality as the PRS, but it's still exceedingly solid for a first instrument, is as iconic as they come, and is as easy to learn on as any guitar you will find. There is a reason almost every player as they get older winds up playing Strats, they're just so well designed they're "easier" to play on, very helpful for a new player.

Peavy "Vypyr" 15 Watt Modeling Amp. $99.00

Not for veteran players, but a great, many-optioned practice amp for a noob, with a ton of sounds and effects to play around with and inspire, and a price point that cannot be beat. Dirt cheap, sold as a rock, no tubes or other fancy stuff a noob can't appreciate anyway, and again, not a penny more than required.

Fender Mustang I 20 Watt Amp. $109.99

Same theory as above, Fender name (Fender Amps are win all around, even the cheapies).

Total Investment, a reasonable $600-700 dollars total (including strap and tuner and a few picks, all cheap items). Guitars that are lifetime worthy, and resellable if the interest fades away. Cheap tossaway amps that fill the need.

I would also consider the "short scale" small body guitars other have mentioned (as I now re-read the OP and realize "10 year old" is still kinda smallish. It's a personal decision, the short-scale will be a throwaway once they hit about 14 or so. These here may be harder to play at 10, but will last forever.

Best of luck.

Wish my parents had bought me the PRS when I was a kid, sadly they didn't exist back then.